The App Store doesn’t always do a great job of pointing us to the right apps. There are apps that are still ranking high that are simply traps on your digital transformation journey. This video is going to remove the boobytraps, and hopefully give you the best digital workflow experience possible. We haven’t ranked these apps in any order, but here are 7 handwriting apps you should completely avoid on App Store.
Blankbook
Blankbook hasn’t received so much as a bug fix for over a year now. The developers stopped active updates about four years ago. Using an app with this much inactivity is only going to cost you in the long run. Apps malfunction all the time. And when that happens, we usually run to the developers with our complaints. But, what do you do when the developer has stopped working on the app?
QuickNotes X
It is the main reason most of these apps on this list. QuickNotes X got its first update in over a year some four weeks ago. Introducing AI to the app. I wish developers could stop with the AI stuff, really. Most of them aren’t even doing it right. The Pro version of the app, which costs $6, is even worse. It hasn’t been updated for over two years. Even the AI update skipped the paid version. Maybe they want to perfect it first before rolling it out for the paid app. Who knows?
Notes Plus X
Since Notes Plus upgraded to Notes Plus X, we haven’t seen much activity in the app. You can easily see all the updates the developers have released since the app was launched three years ago. That is not promising at all, especially considering that Notes Plus X costs $15. If a developer stops releasing frequent updates, even if they are just bug fixes, it’s probably best to not build your notes database in such an app. What do you guys think?
I am not sure why Apple doesn’t remove some apps from the App Store if they are inactive. It’s probably a lot of work. But it can really save users from the pain of losing their hard work over time. I don’t know. What are the chances that you’ll buy an app that’s not been updated for a couple of years? Is that something you guys look at when you’re buying an app?
Note Always
I loved Note Always when it first launched. It had one of the coolest pen tools at the time, even though I hated that it was raster ink. But everything else, I loved. So much that I was hopeful that one day, once the developers fixed the raster ink, it would become the best handwriting note-taking app on App Store. Sadly, that never happened. We have been receiving bug fixes for over six years now. There was a time when the developer didn’t update the app for more than 3 years. Then we got another buy fix, and nothing for another year.
The story of Note Always is one that probably hurts me the most on this list. The app is simply not worth paying $15 for with so many options available on the market now. The developers have failed to stay up to date with the evolving demands of digital note-taking. It makes no sense buying the app, and I say that with a heavy heart.
Whink
Whink also has a similar story. It has a Noteshelf feel to it, doesn’t it? But users need updates, improvements, and new features to keep their note-taking relevant to the changing demands of learning and working. I didn’t really follow Whink that much, so nothing stands out. But it’s another app you should avoid in 2025.
uPad
I think 4 years without a single update is a sure way to say an app has been discontinued. No? There’s not even a website to go to. Do I find these apps because that’s my job, or are these apps actually showing up in search results? It’s a bit fuzzy on my end. There’s no way Apple is still directing people to these, right? I liked the Map feature in uPad. The app had some interesting features, but sadly, you can’t even consider it for 2025.
Note Taker HD
This looks like something that belongs in a museum. Apps on the iPad haven’t looked like this since in a very long time. I am even surprised the developers updated the app 3 months ago. And there I was thinking ZoomNotes was bad. Even four years ago, this app was outdated. Yet, for some reason, I feel bad about this. I always wondered why I avoid negative reviews and just focus on the best apps. I actually feel bad criticising other people’s hard work, even when it is actually bad. That is why I prefer helping developers improve great products, and pretending bad ones don’t exist. But, it became a growing concern when I realised that outdated apps don’t actually get taken off the App Store. Perhaps, naturally outdated apps get left behind so we can continue pretending they don’t exist. What do you guys think?
Maybe the app itself doesn’t look bad, only these photos do. But, I am not willing to spend $5 to find out. Usually I am always eager to try an app, but not this time.
Notability
The last app you might want to avoid is Notability if you don’t like subscriptions. Notability is a great app, but without a one-time purchase, it’s a lifetime commitment. If you stop the subscription, though, you’ll still be able to read your notes. But you won’t be able to edit them without the subscription. It’s just something to keep in mind.
Which of these apps have you tried, and how did that go for you? Do tell! Thank you, fantastic human, for watching, stay fantastic!